Vertical and lateral stackable brick assembly

ABSTRACT

A vertical and lateral stackable brick assembly includes a mounting brick that has a plurality of sides including a top side, a bottom side, a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side. A plurality of male interconnection members is integral to the mounting brick and extends away therefrom. A plurality of female interconnection members is integral to the mounting brick and extends into a surface of the mounting brick. The female interconnection members are located on at least one of the sides. The male and female interconnection members releasably engage bricks from a building brick system and may also engage male and female interconnection members of other mounting bricks. The male interconnection members is positioned on the top side and at least one of the first, second, third or fourth sides includes the male interconnection members.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The disclosure and prior art relates to building brick devices and more particularly pertains to a new building brick device for allowing vertical and lateral building of toy brick structures.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a mounting brick that has a plurality of sides including a top side, a bottom side, a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side wherein the first and third sides are positioned opposite of each other. A plurality of male interconnection members is integral to the mounting brick and extends away therefrom. The male interconnection members are located on at least one of the sides. A plurality of female interconnection members is integral to the mounting brick and extends into a surface of the mounting brick. The female interconnection members are located on at least one of the sides. The male and female interconnection members releasably engage bricks from a building brick system and may also engage male and female interconnection members of other mounting bricks. The male interconnection members is positioned on the top side and at least one of the first, second, third or fourth sides includes the male interconnection members.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front top perspective view of a vertical and lateral stackable brick assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a rear top perspective view of another embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a bottom and front perspective view of the embodiment of the disclosure shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 7 thereof, a new building brick device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7, the vertical and lateral stackable brick assembly 10 generally comprises a mounting brick 12 having a plurality of sides 14 which includes a top side 16, a bottom side 18, a first side 20, a second side 22, a third side 24 and a fourth side 26 wherein the first 20 and third 24 sides are positioned opposite of each other. The terms “top” and “bottom” are not static as the mounting brick 12 may be turned over and rotated as needed or desired during its usage and these terms are simply being utilized as reference points to further understand the invention.

Additionally, the Figures show different embodiments of the bricks 12 as will be more fully understand below. The mounting brick 12 may have a rectangular cross-section taken parallel or perpendicular to an axis of the mounting brick extending through the top and bottom sides. The mounting brick 12 may be cube shaped or may be elongated in any direction. The Figures depict variously shaped mounting bricks 12 though it is understood that these are examples only and the shapes of the mounting bricks 12 are not limited to that depicted in the Figures.

A plurality of male interconnection members 28 is integral to the mounting brick 12 and extends away therefrom. The male interconnection members 28 are located on at least one of the sides 14. A plurality of female interconnection members 30 is integral to the mounting brick 12 and extend into a surface of the mounting brick 12. The female interconnection members 30 may also be located on at least one of the sides 14. The male 28 and female 30 interconnection members are configured to releasably engage toy bricks 32 from a building brick system and to engage male 28 and female 30 interconnection members of other ones of the building brick assembly 10. Thus, while the assembly 10 may be used with toy bricks 32 already commercially available, the assembly 10 may include a plurality of interconnectable mounting bricks 12.

Brick systems utilizing similar structures for frictionally coupling together toy bricks 32 are ubiquitous in the toy arts and are found in multiple references such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,005,282. These toy bricks 32 may be found, for instance, being sold under the names Lego and Duplo. Generally, the male interconnection member 28 includes one or more male protrusions that extend upwardly from an upper surface of the toy brick 32. The female interconnection member 30 includes one or more recesses for receiving the male interconnection member 28 that would be found on the toy bricks 32. The recesses may be formed in any conventional manner. FIGS. 2 and 3 show two different types of female interconnection members 30 and the cylinder located within such in FIG. 3 may be removed and still function properly.

In the assembly 10, the male 28 and female 30 interconnection members, unlike those toy bricks 32 discussed above, are positioned not only on the top 16 or bottom 18 sides, but also may be positioned on a perimeter surface, of the mounting brick 12, wherein the perimeter surface includes the first side 20, second side 22, third side 24 and fourth side 26. Typically, the male interconnection members 28 are positioned on the top side 16 and the female interconnection members 30 is positioned on the bottom side 28. However, only one of these might be provided and positioned in opposite locations than stated above. Alternatively, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the top side 16 and bottom side 18 each include female interconnection members 30. Further, it may found that at least one of the first 20, second 22, third 24 or fourth 26 sides includes the male interconnection members 28 and/or at least one of the first 20, second 22, third 24 or fourth 26 sides includes the female interconnection members 30. Essentially, the assembly 10 includes a mounting brick 12 having male 28 or female 30 interconnection members positioned on at least two sides 14 of the mounting brick 12 which are not positioned opposite of each other and may comprise three or more sides 14 of the mounting brick 12 that include the female 30 and/or male 28 interconnection members. In this manner, toy bricks 32 or other mounting bricks 12 may be attached not only to the top 16 and bottom 18 sides, but may also be attached to one of the first 20, second 22, third 24 or fourth 26 sides to allow for lateral construction of toy structures.

In use, the mounting brick 12 is used as a generally conventional toy brick 32 which frictionally engages other toy bricks 32 which frictionally and releasably are coupled to each other. However, the male 28 and female 30 interconnection members positioned on the perimeter surface of the mounting brick 12 also facilitate lateral attachment and building with respect to the mounting brick 12.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements. 

1. A building brick assembly configured to engage a brick system in lateral and vertical directions, said building brick assembly comprising: a mounting brick having a plurality of sides including a top side, a bottom side, a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side wherein said first and third sides are positioned opposite of each other; a plurality of male interconnection members being integral to said mounting brick and extending away therefrom, said male interconnection members being located on at least one of said sides; a plurality of female interconnection members being integral to said mounting brick and extending into a surface of said mounting brick, said female interconnection members being located on at least one of said sides; said male and female interconnection members being configured to releasably engage bricks from a building brick system and to engage male and female interconnection members of other ones of said building brick assembly; said male interconnection members being positioned on said top side; at least one of said first, second, third or fourth sides including said male interconnection members; said female interconnection members being positioned on said bottom side; wherein the sides having the female and male interconnection members thereon only solely have either the female interconnection members or the male interconnection members thereon; said male and female interconnection members defining couplers; wherein one of said plurality of sides includes: an upper edge and a lower edge positioned opposite of each other, said upper edge being positioned adjacent to said top side; a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge positioned opposite of each other; said couplers being positioned adjacent to said upper edge, said lower edge, and said upper edge; and at least ⅓ of a distance from said lower edge to said upper edge being planar and free of said couplers.
 2. (canceled)
 3. The building brick assembly configured to engage a brick system in lateral and vertical directions according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first, second, third or fourth sides includes said female interconnection members.
 4. A building brick assembly configured to engage a brick system in lateral and vertical directions, said building brick assembly comprising: a mounting brick having a plurality of sides includes a top side, a bottom side, a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side wherein said first and third sides are positioned opposite of each other; a plurality of male interconnection members being integral to said mounting brick and extending away therefrom, said male interconnection members being located on at least one of said sides, at least one of said first, second, third or fourth sides includes said male interconnection members; a plurality of female interconnection members being integral to said mounting brick and extending into a surface of said mounting brick, said female interconnection members being located on at least one of said sides; said male and female interconnection members being configured to releasably engage bricks from a building brick system and to engage male and female interconnection members of other ones of said building brick assembly; said female interconnection members being positioned on said bottom side; at least one of said first, second, third or fourth sides including said female interconnection members; wherein the sides having the female and male interconnection members thereon only solely have either the female interconnection members or the male interconnection members thereon; said male and female interconnection members defining couplers; wherein one of said plurality of sides includes: an upper edge and a lower edge positioned opposite of each other, said upper edge being positioned adjacent to said top side; a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge positioned opposite of each other; said couplers being positioned adjacent to said upper edge, said lower edge, and said upper edge; and at least ⅓ of a distance from said lower edge to said upper edge being planar and free of said couplers.
 5. A building brick assembly configured to engage a brick system in lateral and vertical directions according to claim 4, wherein said male interconnection members are positioned on said top side.
 6. (canceled)
 7. A building brick assembly configured to engage a brick system in lateral and vertical directions according to claim 4, wherein said female interconnection members are also positioned on said top side.
 8. A building brick assembly configured to engage a brick system in lateral and vertical directions, said building brick assembly comprising: a mounting brick having a plurality of sides including a top side, a bottom side, a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side wherein said first and third sides are positioned opposite of each other; a plurality of male interconnection members being integral to said mounting brick and extending away therefrom, said male interconnection members being located on at least one of said sides; a plurality of female interconnection members being integral to said mounting brick and extending into a surface of said mounting brick, said female interconnection members being located on at least one of said sides; said male and female interconnection members being configured to releasably engage bricks from a building brick system and to engage male and female interconnection members of other ones of said building brick assembly; said male interconnection members being positioned on said top side; said female interconnection members being positioned on said bottom side; at least one of said first, second, third or fourth sides including said male interconnection members; at least one of said first, second, third or fourth sides including said female interconnection members; wherein the sides having the female and male interconnection members thereon only solely have either the female interconnection members or the male interconnection members thereon; said male and female interconnection members defining couplers; wherein one of said plurality of sides includes: an upper edge and a lower edge positioned opposite of each other, said upper edge being positioned adjacent to said top side; a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge positioned opposite of each other; said couplers being positioned adjacent to said upper edge, said lower edge, and said upper edge; and at least ⅓ of a distance from said lower edge to said upper edge being planar and free of said couplers.
 9. (canceled) 